Daily Prelims Notes 7 June 2023

Daily Prelims Notes

7 June 2023

Table Of Contents

1. Biporjoy: Cyclonic storm develops over Arabian Sea, could make landfall in Pakistan or Oman
2. Habitat loss due to tourism in the Western Ghats pushes endangered frogs to the edge
3. Carbon dioxide levels hit new record, now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times
4. GE cotton: Three states refuse NOC for field trials
5. Deposit insurance cover for PPIs
6. NDF Contracts
7. CCI dispute settlement 2.0
8. Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed assets (resolution outside IBC)
9. EU’s shift to ‘compliance regime’ may hurt Indian organic exports
10. Do not Just Single out Coal
11. WHO’s ‘pandemic treaty’
12. Iran unveils new hypersonic missile
13. Trouble in Kosovo
14. Vision Pro: Apple’s breakthrough AR headset
15. Kerala Fibre Optical Network
16. Doctors must strictly comply with pocso on reporting offences
17. Russia China joint patrol of East China sea and sea of Japan

1. Biporjoy: Cyclonic storm develops over Arabian Sea, could make landfall in Pakistan or Oman

Subject: Geography

Section: Physical Geography

Context:

• A cyclonic storm “Biporjoy” has developed over the east-central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Details:

• The IMD predicts a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 115-125 kmph and gusts of 140 kmph on June 8, 2023.
• The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model, as visualised by the software Windy, shows that the system is moving towards the Sindh province of Pakistan.
• Another weather forecast model, Global Forecast System (GFS), predicts a different track. Data visualised by Windy shows that it will likely make landfall in Oman.
• Between 1881 and 2019, 41 tropical cyclone systems made landfall in Oman. They have been associated with extreme winds, storm surges and significant flash floods, often resulting in loss of life and substantial damage to infrastructure.
• This is the first cyclone to form in June since 2020
• The last such cyclone emerged in 2019. Cyclone Vayu flooded low-lying coastal towns in Oman.

Link with the climate change:

• The sea surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea are 30-32 degrees Celsius.
• This is above the climatological mean. This is clearly the climate change link, as Arabian Sea warming is favouring more intense cyclones.
• Delayed monsoon:
  • The system will delay the arrival of the southwest monsoon. The system is driving moisture away from India and is hindering monsoon winds.
  • There could further cause a delay in the onset and progress of monsoon
  • The long-term Indian Ocean warming and the developing El Nino — both have the potential to weaken the monsoon.

Conditions for Formation of Tropical Cyclones:

• A consistent source of heat as tropical cyclones are thermally induced low-pressure systems.
• Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27° C which is possible only during the late summers i.e. September, October, and November
• Presence of the Coriolis force. It is the result of the earth’s rotation and deflects objects to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
• A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation;
• Upper divergence above the sea level system.

Cyclonic activities in the Arabian Sea:

• Annually, five cyclones on average used to form in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea combined. Among these, four develop in the Bay of Bengal and one in the Arabian Sea.
• Previously, tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea were restricted to Gujarat. However, now even Kerala and Karnataka have also become more vulnerable to cyclones. A recent example is ‘Ockhi’.
• Tauktae is the fourth cyclone in consecutive years to have developed in the Arabian Sea. Cyclone Mekanu hit Oman in 2018, Cyclone Vāyu struck Gujarat in 2019 and Cyclone Nisargahit Maharashtra in 2020.
• Apart from frequency, a rise in the intensification rate is also observed. All these cyclones since 2018 have been categorised either ‘Severe Cyclone’ or above.
• Tauktae took only 2 days to become Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) while Cyclone Mekanu and Cyclone Nisarga had developed slower, taking 4 and 5 days respectively.

Reasons behind increasing cyclonic activities in the Arabian sea:

• The sea surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea have increased rapidly during the past century due to global warming. Temp. now is 1.2–1.4 °C higher than the temperature witnessed four decades ago. These warmer temperatures support active convection, heavy rainfall, and intense cyclones.
• Therising temperature is also enabling the Arabian Sea to supply ample energy for the intensification of cyclones. Currently, seawater up to depths of 50 metres has been very warm that allowed Cyclone tauktae to become a VSCS in only 2 days.
• The Arabian Sea is also providing conducive wind shear for cyclones. For instance, a higher level easterly wind drove the depression of Cyclone Ockhi from the Bay of Bengal to the Arabian Sea.
• Greater occurrence of El Niño Modoki. It is a climate phenomenon that means ‘pseudo El Niño’ and creates conditions that are not conducive for cyclogenesis in the Bay of Bengal. However, this condition is conducive for the formation of cyclones in the Arabian Sea.
  • El Nino is associated with suppressing cyclone formation in the Arabian Sea.

2. Habitat loss due to tourism in the Western Ghats pushes endangered frogs to the edge

Subject: Environment

Section: Places in news

Increasing fragility of Western Ghats:

• Plant species found there are: Groves of eucalyptus, black wattle and acacia — trees grown for firewood and timber, Neem, rubber bush, etc.
  • Patches of shola forests — stunted tropical montane forests which once covered all these hills — lie scattered across the landscape.
  • Coffee and cardamom plantations intersperse the tea gardens, giving this lofty range the name Cardamom Hills.
  • Today, forests blanket just over half of Idukki are mostly found inside protected areas, including Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, and Periyar National Park.
• Fauna species: Elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) or the endemic Nilgiritahrs (Nilgiritragushylocrius), tiny frogs and toads, Lion-tailed macaque, Gaur, Sloth bear, Nilgirilangoor, nilgiri marten, King Cobra, Great Hornbill among others.

Tree cover loss threatens endemic frogs:

• The vast amphibian diversity of the southern Western Ghats is now at risk. As frogs are extremely sensitive to small changes in their environment, climate change and other human-caused disturbances can decimate their numbers.
• Habitat loss
• Beginning in the late 19th century, large swathes of montane shola forests were cut down by the British colonists to grow coffee, tea and spices like cardamom.
• Over the years, as plantations expanded, the forest cover shrank.
• A 2016 satellite-based study showed that in 1925, most (93.2%) of the landscape was forested, but by 2012, it dwindled to just over half (52.1%).
• This loss is despite the fact that logging of shola forests — both in and outside of protected areas — is legally prohibited.

Protection efforts of amphibian species:

• Amphibians contribute to regulating services by reducing mosquito recruitment from ephemeral wetlands, potentially controlling other pest species, and indirectly through predation of insect pollinators.
• India lacks proper legal protection for its amphibians.
  • India don’t have any protected areas dedicated to frogs.
  • Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972—aimed at protecting the country’s biodiversity—lists a handful of freshwater frogs in its Schedule IV section, which bans hunting or trade of these species.
• In the 2022 amendment to the Act, species belonging to the Nasikabatrachus genus (like the purple frog), have been added to Schedule I and get as much protection as tigers or elephants per the law.

Gadgil Committee Recommendations on Western Ghats:

• The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA).
• The panel, in its report, has classified the 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3.
• ESZ-1 being of high priority, almost all developmental activities (mining, thermal power plants etc) were restricted in it.
• The Gadgil report recommended that “no new dams based on large-scale storage be permitted in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1. Since both the Athirappilly of Kerala and Gundia of Karnataka hydel project sites fall in Ecologically Sensitive Zone 1, these projects should not be accorded environmental clearance,” it said.
• Gadgil Committee report specifies that the present system of governance of the environment should be changed. It asked for a bottom to top approach (right from Gram sabhas) rather than a top to bottom approach. It also asked for decentralization and more powers to local authorities.
• The commission recommended constitution of a Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA), as a statutory authority under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, with the powers under Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Kasturirangan committee Report Recommendations on Western Ghats:

• Instead of the total area of Western Ghats, only 37% (i.e. 60,000 sq. km.) of the total area be brought under ESA under Kasturirangan report.
• A complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in ESA.
• Distinguished between cultural (58% occupied in the Western Ghats by it like human settlements, agricultural fields and plantations) and natural landscape (90% of it should come under ESA according to the committee).
• Current mining areas in the ESA should be phased out within the next five years, or at the time of expiry of mining lease, whichever is earlier.
• No thermal power be allowed and hydropower projects are allowed only after detailed study.
• Red industries i.e. which are highly polluting be strictly banned in these areas.
• The Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats has made several pro-farmer recommendations, including the exclusion of inhabited regions and plantations from the purview of ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs).
• The Kasturirangan report had said 123 villages fall under the ESA purview.

3. Carbon dioxide levels hit new record, now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times

Subject: Environment

Section: Places in news

Context:

• Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have recorded a new high, with the monthly average in May touching 424 parts per million, a new update from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States said.

Details:

• The current concentrations are now more than 50 per cent higher than the pre-industrial times.

Greenhouse gas emissions:

• Carbon dioxide is the most common among greenhouse gases responsible for causing global warming that is leading to climate change.
• Other major greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, a set of fluorinated gases like HFCs and HCFCs, and ozone.
• Carbon dioxide, generated during the process of burning fossil fuels, accounts for over 70 per cent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

Tracing the CO₂ emissions throughout the geological past: 

• Scientists have been able to estimate carbon dioxide concentration levels till about 400,000 years in the past, mainly through the study of polar ice cores that have remained unchanged for millions of years.
• In this period, CO2 concentrations have remained around 200 ppm during the ice ages, and about 280 ppm during the warmer inter-glacial periods.
• But since the middle of last century, CO2 levels have remained at unprecedented levels and have been rising rapidly.
• In May of 1990, the year that is generally considered as the start of a phase of climate awareness and response, monthly average concentrations of CO2 was around 357 ppm.
• The monthly average crossed the 400 ppm mark for the first time in May 2013.

4. GE cotton: Three states refuse NOC for field trials

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Places in news

Context:

• Four locations viz. Haryana, Gujrat, Telangana and Maharashtra have been chosen for biosafety research trials (BRL) of genetically engineered (GE) cotton hybrids. Only Haryana has approved the field trial.

Details:

• 42 locations across India have been selected for ‘notified field trials’ (NFT) to conduct confined tests of GE crops.
• Plots in five districts were proposed in 2022 for conducting BRL-1 (first year) trial of GE cotton hybrids for resistance against pink bollworm — Ranga reddy in Telangana, Jalna and Akola in Maharashtra, Junagadh in Gujarat and Hisar in Haryana.

Pink bollworm and Bollgard technology:

• The pink bollworm is an insect known for being a pest in cotton farming.
• Bollgard1 and Bollgard 2 help in developing genetically modified crop plants.Bollgard cotton provides in-built protection for cotton against destructive Bollworm infestations, and contains an insecticidal protein from a naturally occurring soil microorganism, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
• BollgardBt cotton (single-gene technology) is India’s first biotech crop technology approved for commercialization in India in 2002.
• Bollgard II technology contains a superior double-gene technology – Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab which provides protection against bollworms and Spodoptera caterpillar.

Resistance against genetically modified crops:

• The Coalition for GM Free India, a platform of organisations and individuals representing farmers, consumers, experts and activists against genetically modified (GM) crops, has termed these recent events as coercion of state governments for NOCs of field trials.
• State governments like Telangana and Gujarat have declined to provide NOCs, but the GEAC is forcing them to provide reasons or break their silence.
• Agriculture is a state subject and state governments’ involvement is essential for compliance monitoring.
• Recently, GM crop Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH-11) received the environmental clearance on October 18, 2022.

Why states are refusing the biosafety trials of genetically  modified crops?

• Environmental concerns.
• Impact on agriculture of the region.
• Contamination issue of BN Bt cotton.
• It may adversely impact the health of the flora and fauna of the region.
• The Coalition for GM Free India: a platform of organisations and individuals representing farmers, consumers, experts and activists against genetically modified (GM) crops.
• Corporatisation of agriculture.

Bikaneri BT cotton contamination issue:

• The GM cotton variety in question- Bikaneri NermaBt or BN Bt– was developed by the Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research(CICR) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research(ICAR).
• It was commercialised in 2009 and was touted as an alternative to GM cotton marketed by Mahyco.
• Two years back, Mahyco complained to ICAR that BN Bt, in fact, contained a gene developed by its partner Monsanto.
• The Sopory Committee was formed to look into the matter and the committee confirmed that the BN Bt got contaminated with the gene developed by the Monsanto.

5. Deposit insurance cover for PPIs

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

• RBI committee to review the Customer Service Standards in RBI Regulated Entities (RE) has recommended to examine the extension of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) cover to PPIs, which, at present, is available only to bank deposits.
• To examine whether DICGC cover can be extended to bank PPIs and later to nonbank PPIs. At present DICGC only covers bank deposits.

Why RBI made the recommendation:

1. The money kept in wallets is in the nature of deposits.
2. All PPI issuers (both bank and non-bank) are regulated by RBI.

PPI Issuers

PPIs can be issued by banks and non-banks after obtaining approval from the RBI. As on November 9, 2022, over 58 banks and 33 non-bank PPI issuers as on May 30, 2023.

6. NDF Contracts

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

A non-deliverable forward (NDF) is an outright forward or futures contract in which counterparties settle the difference between the contracted NDF price or rate and the prevailing spot price or rate on an agreed notional amount. It is used in various markets such as foreign exchange and commodities.

• RBI has permitted AD Category-I banks operating IFSC banking units (IBU) to offer non-deliverable forward (NDF) utilizing rupees to resident non-retail users for hedging. The step has been taken in order to:
  • Develop onshore rupee NDF market and
  • To provide residents the flexibility to plan their hedging.
• The transactions shall be cash settled in rupees or foreign currency and shall have flexibility of cash settlement

7. CCI dispute settlement 2.0

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

The amended Competition Act, 2023 grants CCI enhanced powers that are far-reaching, designed to promote more effective market regulation and facilitate the ease of doing business in India.

Key Points:

• Earlier the prosecution of anti-competitive practices took many years. This is to be changed with an approach of discussion to achieve quick and timely action by means of:
  • Entering into settlements or getting commitments from potential wrongdoers,
  • to collect penalties and swiftly correct market conditions
• Mechanism is particularly relevant in digital markets, where timely intervention and correction are critical
• CCI to use a carrot and stick approach:
  • CCI is now empowered to impose heavy monetary penalties on companies up to 10 per cent of their global income across all businesses.
  • Penalties can be avoided by offering meaningful solutions through the settlement and commitments (S&C)
• Act requires parties to offer commitments any time before receiving the Director-General’s investigation report and offer settlements any time before the CCI passes a final order in a case.
• Some concerns about the changes:
  • The provisions relating to settlements and commitments (S&C) are yet to be notified and remain unenforced.
  • Companies involved in existing cases face problem in absence of S&C guidelines.

8. Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed assets (resolution outside IBC)

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

The enactment of IBC and the default event being the trigger for initiating insolvency proceedings under the statute forced a rethink of the regulatory trigger for mandatory resolution as well. All the prevailing schemes for restructuring were replaced with a simple and harmonised Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets (Prudential Framework) which was issued on June 7, 2019.

The Prudential Framework takes a different approach from IBC:

• It prioritizes incentive structures over compulsory initiation of insolvency against large borrowers.
• Instead of compelling lenders to initiate insolvency proceedings within a certain timeline, the Prudential Framework instead provides a system of disincentives in the form of:
  • Additional provisioning for delay in implementation of resolution plan (“Plan“) or
  • The initiation of insolvency proceedings.

The original framework did not give expected results, as was seen in case of DHFL where in the end IBC had to be invoked after no no consensus was reached by lenders. Now the Prudential Framework is likely to be overhauled.

Key points:

• Banks are not interested in any alternative to IBC if it still requires them to have the same level of provisioning as in IBC.
• Banks want more flexibility on the lines of restructuring during Covid pandemic where the distressed loans continued to be classified as standard assets.
• RBI feels any relaxation of provisioning or classification norm may ultimately result in greater stresses in the system.
• Middle path is likely to be explored, with the IBC framework also to be reviewed soon.

9. EU’s shift to ‘compliance regime’ may hurt Indian organic exports

Subject: Economy

Section: Agriculture

Context: The European commission has recently published a draft note with the aim of implementing stringent measures starting in January 2025 regarding the adherence to organic product standards in third countries.

Content:

• Last November, the EU had in Audit report on India had acknowledged that there was an overall structure in place with all the necessary elements for control of organic products, including a sophisticated IT system for supervising the controls and ensuring traceability (APEDA under NPOP is recognized by EU to regulate standards for export of Organic Products).
• However, there are many weaknesses in the supervision and implementation of the controls at various levels. The most significant is that the recent unannounced controls by APEDA as well as the audit team’s own findings show a high degree of noncompliance with the NPOP at producer groups and poor quality of inspections, the report had said.
• This decision comes as a response to the Commission’s observation that certain governments in various countries had relaxed regulations during the Covid19 pandemic, leading to negative effects on the accreditation bodies’ ability to guarantee the compliance of these products.

Reason for Chaos:

• Change of Ecosystem: EU’s regime shift from process certification to product authenticity.

Impact:

• This disruption will merely allow exporters with ‘neo-competency’ to survive in the export market.
• Further, certification costs will jack up in India (which had exported over $ 300 mn of Organic products to EU in 2021-22) if producers’ group have to seek recognition from additional agency that is recognized in EU.

Organic certification : covered in May DPN

10. Do not Just Single out Coal

Subject: Environment

Section: Climate Change

Context: Why should countries of the western world, which have already appropriated the giant share of the carbon budget, be given a free pass on the continued use of natural gas?

Content:

Coal Impacts:

• Burning of coal is bad for our health as it generates emissions that we must not breathe.
• It is burnt in thousands of small- and medium-sized industrial boilers, where pollution abatement is either expensive or impossible to regulate.
• Furthermore, thermal power plants that use coal to generate energy add to local pollution because many units are old and cannot be refurbished and refitted with technologies to control emissions of particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2) or nitrogen oxides (NOx).
• So, to combat local air pollution Delhi has banned the use of coal; it has shut down the last of its aged coal-based thermal plants. Now, it has stopped the use of coal within a radius of 100 km around the city. 
• All industries using coal to fuel their furnaces have been told to move to natural gas or other clean fuels or will be forced to shut down. The ultimate objective is to increase the use of electricity as energy by industries and vehicles, which will come from clean sources, ideally

Natural Gas Impacts:

• In the interim, the solution is to move to Natural gas which is considered cleaner than coal when it comes to local air toxins.
• But,Coal emits carbon dioxide (CO2) and Natural gas emits half of what coal emits in terms of CO2 as well as methane.
• These are not local pollutants, but add to warming because of their long-life in the atmosphere.
• However, the EU has baptised it as “green fuel”. The oil and gas companies are drilling more gas, terming it as the necessary energy source.

Areas of Conflict:

• A recent paper published in Nature Climate discusses how the IPCC underestimates the need to cut down on gas and oil—gas usage needs to only fall down by 14 per cent by 2030, as compared to the complete and unrealistic phase out of coal, which it says must happen in the coming 10 years to stay below 1.5°C.
• They conclude that the 5°C pathway needs drastic emission reductions of coal, and of oil and gas; and that this underestimation puts a huge burden on coal-dependent countries of the South.
• It is said that green hydrogen—manufactured using renewable or other green fuel—is not necessary for the green transition. Blue hydrogen, made from natural gas, is also green if the emissions are abated and CO2 captured. The emphasis is on abatement and not on the phase out of fossil fuel, that is natural gas.
• However, it needs to be understood that both coal and natural gas require strategies for switch, phase out and abatement when it comes to climate change.

11. WHO’s ‘pandemic treaty’

Subject : International Relations

Section: International  Conventions / Treaties

Concept :

• Recently, the latest version of the draft Pandemic Instrument, also referred to as the “pandemic treaty,” was shared with Member States at the World Health Assembly (WHA), where addressing ‘antimicrobial resistance ‘in the Pandemic Instrument were at risk of removal.

Background

• Work on the Pandemic Instrument began in December 2021 after the World Health Assembly agreed to a global process to draft and negotiate an international instrument under the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• It aims to protect nations and communities from future pandemic emergencies.

Pandemic Treaty/Instrument

• The treaty aims to address the challenges posed by pandemics and other global health emergencies.
• The zero-draft of the pandemic treaty was established based on recognising the catastrophic failure of the international community in showing solidarity and equity in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

What are the Principal Components of the Draft?

• Global Cooperation: It calls for increased global coordination and cooperation in the preparation for and response to pandemics and other global health emergencies.
• Strengthening of Health Systems: It emphasizes the need to strengthen health systems in all countries, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to ensure they are better prepared to respond to pandemics and other global health emergencies.
• Investment in Research and Development: It calls for improved access to essential health technologies, such as vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments, during pandemics and other global health emergencies.
• It calls for increased investment in research and development of health technologies, particularly for diseases that pose a significant threat to global health.
• Transparency in Sharing of Information: It calls for increased transparency and sharing of information about pandemics and other global health emergencies, including data on the spread of diseases and the effectiveness of interventions.
• Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System: The constitution of a PABS has been constituted under the WHO, making Genomic sequences of all pathogens with pandemic potential to be shared on an “equal footing” in the system.
• The PABS system is an important tool for ensuring the responsible and equitable use of pathogens and their genetic resources in the research and development of new medicines and vaccines, while also recognizing the rights and interests of the countries and communities that provide these resources.

Addressing Gender Disparities:

• In addressing gender disparities in the healthcare workforce, the draft aims to “ensure meaningful representation, engagement, participation and empowerment of all health and care workers” by stressing equal pay and addressing barriers specific to women in taking leadership roles.

What is the issue?

• The researchers argued that the Pandemic Instrument was overly focused on viral threats and ignored AMR and bacterial threats, including the need to manage antibiotics as a common-pool resource and revitalize research and development of novel antimicrobial drugs.

What provisions does the treaty lack?

• Sections of the text which may be removed include measures to prevent infections (caused by bacteria, viruses and other microbes), such as:
• better access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene;
• higher standards of infection prevention and control;
• integrated surveillance of infectious disease threats from human, animals and the environment; and
• Strengthening antimicrobial stewardship efforts to optimize how antimicrobial drugs are used and prevent the development of AMR.

12. Iran unveils new hypersonic missile

Subject : International Relations

Section: International  Conventions

Concept :

• Iran claimed that it had created a hyper-sonic missile capable of travelling at 15 times the speed of sound.

Fattah missile:

• The new missile – called ‘Fattah,’ means ‘Conqueror’ in Farsi.
• The said missile can acquire a speed of 5 times the speed of light and has a range of over 1400 Kms.
• It can travel at speeds of up to Mach 5.

Implications of the test:

• Regional diplomatic relations: Iran would open diplomatic posts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after many years of detente with the latter, which might affect the ongoing diplomatic relations of Iran.
• US and Iran tensions: Easing tensions between the US and Iran after years of tensions over the sanctions and issue over The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal might be reversed from the move.
• Threat to security in the Gulf region and the Suez Canal: With the enhanced defence capabilities of Iran, West might build more defence in the Middle East and the gulf region, which might raise security concerns and probable conflicts in the region.
• Proliferation of nuclear missiles: The Middle East is the home of multiple terrorist groups and the possession of missiles of such capabilities by Iran has the threat of such missiles being proliferated to the Terrorists organisations such as ISIS, Talibans etc.
• The unveiling of Fattah is significant because Iran would become the first country in the entire Middle Eastern region to possess a hypersonic weapon that can have a speed of more than five times the speed of sound.

About Hypersonic missiles:

• Hypersonic weapons travel in excess of five times the speed of sound mach 5 and cover vast distances in minutes.
• They are Hard to stop and they fly and manoeuvre to avoid detection.
• They can also dodge defensive countermeasures.

Types of Hypersonic Missiles:

• Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCM): It is a cruise missile powerful enough to achieve hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 or higher.
• Hypersonic Glide Vehicles(HGV): The missiles possess a boost-glide system. Their launch is similar to a traditional ballistic missile. The re-entry vehicle is put on a trajectory, instead of following an arc high above the atmosphere , which allows it to enter Earth’s atmosphere quickly.

Hypersonic missiles India:

• India has launched the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) programme, under which it is developing an indigenous, dual-capable hypersonic cruise missile.
• India successfully tested a Mach 6 scramjet in 2019 and 2020.
• The BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile, will also be developed in a hypersonic version.
• Hypersonic technology so far has been developed and tested by both DRDO and ISRO India.

13. Trouble in Kosovo

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

• In the aftermath of one of the worst escalation of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia in at least a decade, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) sent 700 more of its peacekeeping troops to Kosovo.

The conflict:

• Both Kosovo and Serbia lie in the Balkans, a region of Europe made up of countries that were once a part of the erstwhile Republic of Yugoslavia.
• Kosovo, a former province of Serbia, unilaterally declared Independence in 2008 and is recognised as a country by about 100 nations including the U.S. and a number of EU-member countries.
• Serbia, however, does not recognise Kosovo’s sovereignty and continues to consider it as a part of itself despite having no administrative control over it.

Current situation

• Currently, an ethnic Serb minority of more than 50,000 resides in multiple municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo bordering Serbia, making up about 5.3% of the country’s population.
• The Kosovo Serbs do not recognise Kosovo state institutions, receive pay and benefits from Serbia’s budget, and pay no taxes either to Pristina, the capital of Kosovo or Belgrade, the Serbian Capital.
• Kosovo cannot become a member country of the UN without Serbia’s approval as it has its diplomatic allies in Russia and China who would veto such a decision.
• In 2013, the two reached the Brussels Agreement brokered by the EU.
• While the agreement was not fully implemented on the ground, the participation of Serbs in elections was facilitated.

14. Vision Pro: Apple’s breakthrough AR headset

Subject: Science and technology

Section: Awareness in IT

Concept :

• Apple has unveiled the Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that allows “spatial computing” by using the wearer’s eyes, voice and hands.
• The headset is the biggest breakthrough product from Apple since the launch of the iPhone more than 15 years ago, and could mark the next chapter in personal technology.

Vision Pro

• Apple’s first major new product category in eight years, the Vision Pro is a headset that the wearer can control with her eyes, hands, and voice, a feature that other headsets do not have.
• Vision Pro represents “spatial computing”, and brings “a new dimension to powerful personal technology”, he said.
• Vision Pro is essentially an augmented-reality (AR) headset that “seamlessly” blends the real and digital worlds. The device can switch between augmented and full virtual reality (VR) using a dial.
• However, Apple did not use the expressions “mixed reality” or “virtual reality” in the presentation.
• According to Apple, the Vision Pro allows users to consume and create content in a new way, in the spaces around them.
• They can watch movies in 3D, with spatial audio as though they were in a cinema theatre, look at pictures or video, and play video games.
• Vision Pro has the ability to see apps overlaid across real-world surroundings. Users can scroll through or select an option by flicking or tapping together their fingers.

Augmented Reality

• The real-time integration of digital information with the environment of the user is known as Augmented Reality (AR).
• Users of Augmented Reality encounter a real-world environment with created perceptual information superimposed on top of it, as opposed to Virtual Reality (VR), which produces a completely artificial environment.
• Using Augmented Reality, users can receive more information or have natural environments aesthetically altered in some way.
• The main advantage of Augmented Reality is that it successfully combines digital and three-dimensional (3D) elementswith how people perceive the real world.
• Through a device like a smartphone or glasses, Augmented Reality provides the user with visual elements, sound, and other sensory information.
• In order to provide a seamless experience where digital information modifies the user’s view of the actual environment, this information is layered onto the device. A part of the natural world might be hidden or added to by the superimposed information.

Applications

• AR has several applications, from entertainment to aid in decision-making.
• The most well-known consumer Augmented Reality (AR) devices right now include Google Glass, smartphone games, and heads-up displays (HUDs) on automobile windscreens.
• But a lot of other businesses, like healthcare, public safety, gas and oil, travel, and marketing, also use this technology.

15. Kerala Fibre Optical Network

Subject : Science and technology

Section: Awareness  in IT

Concept :

• The Kerala government officially launched the Kerala Fibre Optical Network (KFON), one of its flagship projects.

Key details:

• Through KFON, Kerala, which was the first state to declare the right to internet as a basic right, aims to reduce the digital divide by ensuring high speed broadband internet access to all houses and government offices.
• It is also intended to give a fillip to e-governance and accelerate Kerala’s journey towards being a knowledge-based economy.

What is KFON?

• Basically, KFON will act as an infrastructure provider.
• It is an optical fibre cable network of 30,000 kms, with 375 Points-of-Presence across Kerala.
• The KFON infrastructure will be shared with all service providers, including cable operators.
• While KFON will do the cable work for government offices, individual beneficiaries will have to depend on private, local internet service providers.

Fiber internet

• Fiber-optic internet is a broadband connection that can reach speeds of up to 940 Megabits per second (Mbps).
• Benefits:
• Low lag time.
• The technology uses fiber-optic cable, which can send data as fast as about 70% the speed of light.
• In addition, fiber-optic cables are not as susceptible to severe weather conditions as other types of traditional cables, which helps minimize outages.
• It also resists electrical interference effectively.

How does fiber-optic internet work?

• Fiber-optic internet is a complex technology that allows the transmission of information in the form of light rather than electricity.
• Optical fibers
• Optical fibers are tiny, about 125 microns in diameter, or slightly larger than a human hair.
• Many of these fibers are bundled together to form cables (not to be confused with coaxial cables, which are made of copper).
• The optical fibers carry pulses of laser or LED light down the line, transmitting information in “binary” form, similar to the 0s and 1s used in electronics.

How is fiber different from other types of internet?

• The main difference is that fiber doesn’t utilize electric current like other types of internet connections do.
• It uses light, delivered through the fiber glass core.

16. Doctors must strictly comply with pocso on reporting offences

Subject :Polity

Section: Legislation in news

Concept :

• The High Court of Karnataka emphasized the need for strict compliance with Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, particularly by doctors, to prevent offenders from escaping legal consequences.
• The court highlighted that all stakeholders, including doctors, have a responsibility to report offences under the POCSO Act.

Details of the case

• Charge sheet against Medical Practitioner: The charge sheet filed against a doctor was not quashed by the court. He was charged for failing to report an offence under the POCSO Act.
• Treatment of a Minor: The case involved the medical treatment of a girl who was admitted to the hospital following an abortion caused by the consumption of a termination of pregnancy tablet.
• Addressing Consensual Sexual Activity and Abuse: Strict compliance with reporting obligations is crucial to ensure that offences arising from consensual sexual activity, rape, or sexual abuse against children are properly addressed under the law.

Age Discrepancy and Offence Details

• Age Discrepancy: The girl’s age, initially recorded as 18 years and three months in hospital documents, was later revealed to be around 12 years and 11 months in the complaint under the POCSO Act.
• Sexual Intercourse and Abortion: The complaint alleged that the girl was forced to have sexual intercourse by her 21-year-old boyfriend, who administered a tablet to terminate the pregnancy, leading to heavy bleeding.
• Complaint Timing: The POCSO Act complaint was filed approximately two months after the girl’s treatment at the petitioner’s hospital.

Court’s Analysis and Trial Testing

• Doctor’s Disbelief Claim: The court rejected the doctor’s contention that he had no reason to disbelieve the individuals who brought the girl to the hospital and claimed she was 18 years and three months old.
• Observations on Doctor’s Experience: The court found it highly improbable that the doctor, with 35 years of experience as a gynaecologist, did not recognize that the victim was of tender age.
• Testing in Trial: The court emphasized that the doctor’s claim of ignorance regarding the victim’s age would be examined during the trial proceedings.

17. Russia China joint patrol of East China sea and sea of Japan

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

• China and Russia conducted a joint air patrol on Tuesday over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea for a sixth time since 2019, prompting neighbouring South Korea and Japan to scramble fighter jets.
• The joint aerial patrols, which began before Russia sent its troops in Ukraine and Beijing and Moscow declared their “no-limits” partnership, are a result of long expanding bilateral ties built partly on a mutual sense of threat from the United States and other military alliances.

Air Defence Zone

• An air defence zone is an area where countries demand that foreign aircraft take special steps to identify themselves. Unlike a country’s airspace – the air above its territory and territorial waters – there are no international rules governing air defence zones.

Sea of Japan

• The Sea of Japan, also known by various names, is a marginal sea that lies between the Korean Peninsula, Sakhalin, the Japanese archipelago, and the Russian Far Eastern mainland.
• The Pacific Ocean and the sea are divided by the Japanese archipelago. Due to its almost full isolation from the Pacific Ocean, it has essentially no tides, similar to the Mediterranean Sea.
• The faunal variety and salinity, both of which are lower than in the open ocean, are also impacted by this isolation. Large islands, bays, or capes do not exist in the sea.
• The input and outflow through the straits that connect it to the Pacific Ocean and adjoining seas dictate the majority of its water balance.
• Few rivers empty into the sea, and they only make up 1% of the overall water exchange. The high dissolved oxygen content of the ocean leads to high biological production.

East China Sea

• A part of the Pacific Ocean and is a marginal sea in the east of China.
• Bordering Countries: South Korea, Japan, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People’s Republic of China.
• Towards the south of it is the South China Sea and to the west is the Asian continent.
• Connects with the Sea of Japan through the Korea Strait and opens to the north into the Yellow Sea.